boba

noun

bo·​ba ˈbō-bə 

plural boba also bobas

1

or boba tea : a sweet drink of tea mixed typically with milk, tapioca balls, and additional ingredients (such as fresh fruit or fruit syrup) and served hot or cold : bubble tea

—often used before another noun

a boba shop

2

plural : small balls of tapioca sometimes filled with flavored syrup and used chiefly in making boba

A wider straw enables the squishy bobas, which can have a burst of flavor when popped, to be slurped from the bottom of the cup.

—Laura Gutschke

Examples of boba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With everything on its menu priced under $5, this boba and soft-serve shop from China serves up sweet treats that even those on the tightest budgets don’t have to feel guilty about. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

The store serves milk tea, uiji green tea matcha, fruit tea, mango and yogurt drinks, and classic boba shop snacks, according to its website. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026

L’Moon Creamery, Upland L’Moon has long been a favorite of mine for a late-night boba run. — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 30 July 2026

Blue raspberry popping boba pearls add colorful bursts of sweet-tart flavor. — Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Chinese (Beijing) bōbà, name for the large tapioca balls found in the tea, perhaps literally, "large breasts, large-breasted woman"

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined at sense 1